March
For
Life
Rally
GroupFaith
Biermann
of
Goodland
Aidan
Setter
of
Topeka
Fr
Scott
Wallish
of
Lawrence
Madison
Karr
of
Lawrence
Victoria
Reggeti
of
Lawrence
Micaela
Crispin
of
Lawrence
Will
Long
of
Wellington

Kansas
Common
SenseJanuary
22,
2018

Hello,

Welcome
to
“Kansas
Common
Sense.”
Thanks
for
your
continued
interest
in
receiving
my
weekly
newsletter.
Please
feel
free
to
forward
it
on
to
your
family
and
friends
if
it
would
interest
them.

Congress
needs
to
get
out
of
the
continuing
resolution
(CR)
business
and
back
to
funding
the
government
through
the
regular
appropriations
process,
where
we
can
prioritize
spending,
we
can
reduce
spending,
and
perhaps
most
importantly
we
can
rein
in
agencies,
departments
and
bureaucrats
with
direction
on
how
money
can
be
spent.

I
spoke
to
a
number
of
Kansans
this
weekend
as
my
office
remained
open
during
the
shutdown.
I
appreciate
all
who
called
and
shared
your
thoughts
with
me
and
my
staff.
I’m
pleased
that
we’ve
been
able
to
reach
an
agreement
that
enables
us
to
maintain
funding
for
our
military
and
other
critical
government
agencies.
Now
that
the
government
is
funded,
we
will
continue
discussions
on
the
DACA
program
and
on
how
to
strengthen
border
security.

Extending
CHIP

The
agreement
to
re-open
the
government
includes
an
extension
of
the
Children’s
Health
Insurance
Program
(CHIP)
for
a
full
six
years.
CHIP
helps
provide
healthcare
coverage
to
children
in
low-income
families
in
Kansas
and
around
the
country
who
otherwise
would
be
left
without
any
insurance,
and
most
likely,
without
the
funds
necessary
to
cover
their
healthcare
costs.
In
Kansas,
the
program
has
had
sufficient
funding
through
March
of
this
year,
but
in
other
states,
that
was
not
the
case.
For
this
reason
I
voted
previously
to
extend
CHIP
funding
through
the
first
few
months
of
the
year
and
have
spoken
on
the
Senate
floor
in
favor
of
its
reauthorization.
I
am
pleased
to
have
voted
today
to
extend
the
program
for
the
next
six
years

the
longest
reauthorization
in
the
history
of
the
program.

Congress
awarded
Senator
Bob
Dole
the
Congressional
Gold
Medal
this
week

the
highest
civilian
honor
the
United
States
can
bestow.
He
joins
a
list
of
highly-esteemed
Americans,
dating
back
to
1776
when
President
George
Washington
became
the
first
recipient
of
this
award.

I
once
heard
a
story
about
Bob
Dole’s
commitment
to
our
country
that
stuck
with
me:
Sen.
Dole’s
service
in
World
War
II
resulted
in
his
effort
to
raise
money
to
build
the
World
War
II
Memorial
on
the
National
Mall
in
Washington,
D.C.
This
was
a
privately-funded
memorial,
and
he
went
out
and
raised
money
across
the
country.
When
he
went
to
Hollywood
to
visit
with
someone
who
had
lots
of
money
and
ask
for
that
person’s
support
for
this
project,
they
responded
by
saying,
“I’m
not
interested

I
have
other
priorities.”

Sen.
Dole
responded
to
that
mogul
with,
“When
I
was
22,
I
had
other
priorities,
too.
I
went
to
war.”
And
that’s
the
Bob
Dole
who
every
day
since
then
has
gone
to
battle
for
Kansans
and
all
Americans.
Thank
you,
Sen.
Dole,
for
your
distinguished
service
to
our
country,
especially
to
our
home
state
of
Kansas.
The
world
is
a
better
place
because
you
are
in
it.

Kansans'
Federal
Appointments
Move
Forward

Senate
Foreign
Relations
Committee
Advancing
Gov.
Brownback’s
NominationThe
Senate
Foreign
Relations
Committee
unanimously
approved
Governor
Brownback’s
nomination
to
the
post
of
ambassador-at-large
for
international
religious
freedom
during
their
hearing
this
week.
I
look
forward
to
seeing
Gov.
Brownback’s
nomination
move
forward
so
that
the
full
Senate
will
have
the
opportunity
to
vote
to
swiftly
confirm
him.

Supporting
Russell’s
C.J.
Mahoney
for
Deputy
U.S.
Trade
RepresentativeI
had
the
opportunity
to
introduce
C.J.
Mahoney,
native
of
Russell,
at
the
Senate
Finance
Committee
hearing
to
consider
his
nomination
to
be
Deputy
United
States
Trade
Representative
on
Wednesday
morning.
C.J.
has
an
impressive
professional
background,
including
degrees
from
Harvard
and
Yale
and
a
United
States
Supreme
Court
clerkship.
C.J.’s
success
demonstrates
a
tremendously
promising
future
at
the
USTR
and
beyond
due
to
his
significant
intelligence
and
talents,
and
his
strength
in
personal
character.
I
got
to
know
C.J.
as
a
young
man
when
he
served
Kansans
as
one
of
the
first
interns
I
hired
when
elected
to
the
United
States
House
of
Representatives.
C.J.
exhibits
Kansas
character
and
an
appreciation
for
others,
he
is
highly
qualified
for
this
position
and
is
the
type
of
person
that
anyone
would
want
serving
in
this
capacity.

Applauding
Progress
on
Lenexa
Native
Holly
Teeter’s
Nomination
as
a
Federal
JudgeOn
Thursday,
the
Senate
Judiciary
Committee
voted
unanimously
in
favor
of
Ms.
Holly
Teeter
of
Lenexa,
Kan.,
to
serve
as
a
federal
judge
for
the
United
States
District
Court
for
the
District
of
Kansas.
Her
nomination
now
awaits
a
final
vote
on
the
Senate
floor.
Last
year,
I
had
the
privilege
of
introducing
Ms.
Teeter
to
the
Senate
Judiciary
Committee
for
her
confirmation
hearing
and
sharing
the
recommendations
of
her
colleagues
with
Judiciary
Committee
members.
I
continued
my
conversations
with
Committee
members
this
week
and
was
pleased
to
see
her
receive
support
from
each
of
them.

Ms.
Teeter
is
highly
qualified
for
this
judgeship;
she
graduated
with
Highest
Distinction
from
The
University
of
Kansas
with
a
degree
in
chemical
engineering
and
first
in
her
class
from
the
University
of
Kansas
School
of
Law.
Dedicated
to
public
service,
Ms.
Teeter
has
served
as
a
law
clerk
for
multiple
judges
and
currently
serves
as
the
Assistant
United
States
Attorney
for
the
Western
District
of
Missouri.

The
Use
of
Social
Media
in
Global
Terrorism

On
Wednesday,
I
joined
my
Commerce,
Science,
and
Transportation
Committee
colleagues
to
question
executives
from
Facebook,
YouTube,
Twitter
and
the
Foreign
Policy
Research
Institute
on
the
steps
social
media
platforms
are
taking
to
combat
the
spread
of
extremist
propaganda
over
the
internet. In
today’s
environment,
fighting
terrorism
online
is
often
about
having
more
information,
acquiring
that
information
sooner
and
responding
to
that
information
effectively.
This
hearing
provided
helpful
insight
into
how
large
internet
companies
are
proactively
seeking
industry-wide
solutions
to
eliminate
the
harmful
extremist
propaganda
that
continues
to
plague
the
internet
ecosystem.

While
social
media
companies
provide
an
open
platform
for
productive
thoughts
and
ideas
to
be
shared
across
the
globe,
there
have
been
demonstrated
abuses
of
this
freedom
by
terrorist
organizations
using
these
platforms
for
recruitment.
I
am
pleased
these
companies
are
taking
innovative
approaches
to
combat
violent
propaganda,
including
the
use
of
artificial
intelligence
and
machine
learning
to
more
quickly
and
accurately
find
problematic
material
and
increase
coordination
throughout
the
industry
to
identify
best
practices.

Oversight
for
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs

Secretary
of
Veterans
Affairs
David
Shulkin
testified
under
oath
before
the
Senate
Committee
on
Veterans’
Affairs
this
week
regarding
the
VA’s
implementation
of
several
pieces
of
legislation
that
were
signed
into
law
last
year.
During
the
hearing,
I
reminded
Sect.
Shulkin
of
the
exchange
we
had
during
his
confirmation
hearing
a
year
ago,
when
we
discussed
the
all-too-common
occurrence
of
the
VA
using
its
regulation
process
to
thwart
the
intent
of
Congress
when
implementing
newly
passed
laws.

I
also
questioned
Sec.
Shulkin
on
the
numerous
community
care
proposals
currently
before
Congress,
and
whether
or
not
he
believes
the
criteria
for
accessing
community
care
should
be
dependent
on
the
troublesome
regulations
process
or
if
he
supported
clear,
data
driven proposal
I
offered
last
month
with
Sen.
John
McCain.
It
is
of
the
utmost
importance
to
me
to
reform
Choice
and
to
pass
the
right
policies
that
will
work
for
veterans
in
accessing
the
healthcare
that
they
deserve.
I’m
disappointed
that
the
Secretary
expressed
his
desire
to
rely
on
the
VA
bureaucracy
to
determine
when
and
if
a
veteran
can
access
care,
instead
of
taking
the
veterans
centric
and
data-driven
approach
that
Sen.
McCain
and
I
put
forward.
It
is
critical
that
the
future
of
community
care
has
the
best
interest
of
veterans
at
its
core,
not
the
best
interest
of
the
massive
VA
bureaucracy.
Please
click here to
watch
my
exchange
with
Sec.
Shulkin.

Meeting
with
Students
Participating
in
the
March
for
Life

Hundreds
of
Kansans
once
again
made
the
40-hour
round-trip
to
Washington
this
week
for
the
annual
March
for
Life
held
on
Friday.
This
event
gives
Americans
from
all
parts
of
the
country
the
opportunity
to
come
together
to
advocate
for
the
sanctity
and
inherent
dignity
of
every
human
life,
especially
life
in
its
most
innocent
form.
I
had
the
opportunity
to
visit
with
University
of
Kansas
students
who
give
voice
to
those
who
cannot
speak
for
themselves.
I’m
pleased
the
weather
finally
cooperated
for
the
participants
this
year!

Nominees
in
the
Senate
Banking
Committee

I
am
enthused
to
be
back
on
the
Senate
Committee
on
Banking,
Housing,
and
Urban
Affairs.
Our
committee
plays
a
critical
role
in
setting
policy
that
will
continue
to
strengthen
our
economy
and
make
certain
small
businesses
can
succeed,
Americans
can
buy
or
sell
a
home
and
U.S.
producers
can
export
our
goods
to
foreign
markets.
The
position
will
also
give
me
a
greater
opportunity
to
continue
to
be
an
advocate
for
access
to
community-based
financial
services
and
ensure
Kansans
can
continue
to
call
rural
America
home.
It
is
good
to
rejoin
the
committee
and
look
forward
to
working
with
Chairman
Crapo
and
my
colleagues
to
oversee
and
strengthen
the
financial
system
that
millions
of
American
consumers
rely
on.

In
my
first
hearing
this
week
since
being
re-appointed
to
the
committee,
we
reported
five
of
the
president’s
nominees
for
executive
positions
within
the
administration.
All
five
of
these
nominees
had
been
reported
out
of
the
Banking
Committee
in
2017,
but
were
not
confirmed
by
the
whole
Senate.
I
am
pleased
these
qualified
nominees
will
now
have
the
chance
to
be
considered
by
the
full
Senate
in
the
near
future.

The
nominees
are
the
Honorable
Jerome
H.
Powell,
of
Maryland,
to
be
Chairman
of
the
Board
of
Governors
of
the
Federal
Reserve
System;
the
Honorable
Randal
Quarles,
of
Colorado,
to
be
reappointed
as
a
Member
of
the
Board
of
Governors
of
the
Federal
Reserve
System;
the
Honorable
Brian
D.
Montgomery,
of
Texas,
to
be
Assistant
Secretary
for
Housing

Federal
Housing
Commissioner,
U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development;
Mr.
Robert
Hunter
Kurtz,
of
Virginia,
to
be
Assistant
Secretary
for
Public
and
Indian
Housing,
U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development;
and
Mr.
David
Ryder,
of
New
Jersey,
to
be
Director
of
the
United
States
Mint.

Now
Accepting
Summer
Internship
Applications

My
own
interest
in
public
service
was
sparked
by
an internship for
Kansas
First
District
Congressman
Keith
Sebelius
in
1974.
As
an intern,
I
had
the
chance
to
learn
firsthand
how
a
Congressional
office
operates
and
how
the
legislative
process
works.
I
am
proud
to
be
able
to
offer
this
same
opportunity
in
my
Senate
office
today,
where
I
have interns year-round
working
closely
with
my
staff
on
behalf
of
Kansans.

Applications
for internships in
my
Washington,
D.C.
and
Kansas
offices
for
Summer
2018
are
due
Friday,
February
23.
Congressional internships are
open
to
qualified
undergraduate
and
graduate
students
who
have
an
interest
in
public
service
and
have
achieved
academic
excellence. Click
here for
more
information.

Honored
to
Serve
You
in
Washington

It
is
an
honor
to
serve
you
in
Washington,
D.C.
Thank
you
to
the
many
Kansans
who
have
been
calling
and
writing
in
to
share
their
thoughts
and
opinions
on
the
issues
our
state
and
country
face.
I
appreciate
the
words
of
Kansans,
whether
in
the
form
of
a
form
of
letter,
a
Facebook
comment
or
a
phone
call,
who
wish
to
make
their
voice
heard.

Please
let
me
know
how
I
can
be
of
assistance.
You
can
contact
me
by
email
by clicking
here.
You
can
also click
here to
contact
me
through
one
of
my
Kansas
offices
or
my
Washington,
D.C.,
office.

My
email
address
is
only
equipped
to
send
messages.
I
encourage
you
to
send
me
a
message
through
my
website: www.moran.senate.gov. To
unsubscribe
from
this
newsletter,
please click
here.